Today, I’ve decided to talk about my personal life, because I believe you need to get to know the real me. Those who follow my social media, would know that I have a tattoo on my left thigh which I have recently got retouched and redesigned. So, in todays blog, I will be talking about my experiences with my tattoo and all those important tips for anyone who is thinking of getting inked.

Top Tips:

If you’re considering of getting a tattoo, there are a few key details you must be aware of:

Firstly, you must be 100% set on a particular design, if you’re unsure, don’t get it as in a few years, you’ll may end up regretting it. I designed my tattoo, but it took me months to decide what I wanted and where I wanted it.

Secondly, be wary of sizing, some designs require particular sizes to fit better on the skin; don’t be afraid to discuss sizing choice with the tattooist. They’re professionals so any good tattooist will advice what size to have the design, if you’re worried.

Also, placement is key- if you don’t want the design to be seen all the time, I’d suggest tattooing on your thigh or back/shoulder first, as they can easily be covered with a blouse or a midi skirt.

What job do you have/ job you’re wanting?- tattoos are beautiful works of art, but if you’re like me and working towards a professional career, you may need to rethink what design you want. Some companies dislike visible tattoos as they can be considered as ‘messy’, so, make sure you know what you want before commiting to a tattoo.

Think about colours: if you’re wanting to have colour in your design make sure the colours are complementary to each other and won’t wash out the outline.

Lastly, tattoos should cost a large chunk of money, decent tattoo parlours would charge around £60-70 per hour (may vary in different UK locations). Depending on size, colour and detailing the price will vary.

My personal experience:

I got my first tattoo last year in May, after months of consideration I took my first design to a tattoo studio which was recommended by a good friend. Due to this being my very first tattoo, I was extremely nervous. However, I was pleasantly welcomed by the receptionist who guided me through all the different art portfolios by the tattoo artists available at the studio. After discussing my design with various artists, I made a deposit on tattoo date; good studios should ask for a deposit (usually unfundable) to cover the time for the artist to produce a stencil. I waited around two weeks to get my tattoo done; on the day of my tattoo, I bought a spare pair of shorts as my tattto was going on the top of my thigh. I would recommend bringing comfy clothes with you, as it will be less painful if you feel more relaxed. It took the artist around three hours to complete my design. The colours were just as I imagined and I was a very happy customer. It took around two weeks for my design to fully heal, the tattooist will recommend particular creams to use in the healing process which you must follow to reduce stabbing.

A few months past and the colour began to fade, due to enrolling in University in September, I had no time to get the tattoo recolored. Only recently, I managed to have time to get the design retouched and modified. Last week, I took my new design to a studio in Maidstone; after discussing with various artists, I was able to book my design in for the following week. As my original tattoo was in need of some TLC, it would only take the artists a couple of hours, hence why I managed to get a time slot so quickly. I got my tattoo modified yesterday, although, I’ve experienced the pain of the needles before, I felt the second time was more painful! However, I am finally happy with my final piece and so excited to get more in the future.

Like as they say, no pain no gain!

Final result

I hope you enjoyed this blog, feel free to ask questions about tattoos!